Asylum
by BlueberryJelly
Summary: After Prisoner of Azkaban, Sirius escapes to the States, where he is in for a surprise.
1. The Misery of June 16

**Disclaimer: We're not J.K. Rowling, and don't know Harry Potter. but we do own Emma.**

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Emma hated June 16th. It was one of the two times of the year that she allowed herself to get depressed. To make matters worse this year her client had requested a meeting with her today and she was still hung over from her sorrow drowning the night before. To make matters wore nature chose today to be overly sunny. If there was one thing she should have learned in the field, it would be one that should always be prepared. Unfortunately 10 years as a lawyer had removed her field instincts. Well that and her depression. She stumbled into Smith's office.

"Smith?"

"Yes Schriver."

"Do you have a hangover potion?" Emma whispered the last part. Smith looked around and withdrew a vial form one of his drawer.

"This should be enough, wait what are you doing here?"

"What do you mean?" Emma ask trying to sound ignorant.

"Well, on this day every year or the past ten years you've flooed in sick. You do the same thing for four days after Halloween. Why?"

Emma tried to by time by downing the hangover potion. This bought her a few seconds, but that was enough time.

"Oh there you are Schriver, your client is waiting for you in your office."

Emma's client was Joesph Tendal, a Ward Repairman. He was being sued for malpractice. She honestly did not remember exactly what it was, and she honestly could care less about his case. But a job was a job and she had to defend him as a part of hers. She sat down behind her desk and started her discussion.

"You must be Joesph Tendal, I'm Emma Schriver and I'll be your lawyer or your case. Now what exactly do you do."

"I am a Magical Ward Technician," Joesph answered proudly.

"And that means what exactly?"

"I am licensed to identify and fix any problems that wards may have."

"So what happened in this case?" Emma was looking for something interesting.

"I was called in because the wards in that place are were malfunctioning. I ra the standard diagnostic test and I fixed the problem that I found. I followed company procedure to the letter."

"Do you have any records of the test you ran and the results?"

"They're on file at the head office, you just have to ask for them."

"The wards failed a week later do you know..."

"Schriver, Mr. Lesk wants to see you in his office." The secretary had poked her head into the office and had cut Emma off.

"Joesph, we'll pick it up when I'm done with this."

Joesph gave Emma a pitying look. It was the I know you're going to get fired and I'm sorry about it type of look. Emma never saw that look. She was too busy counting the many blessings of today. _Today is the anniversary, and I am going to spend it getting let go after listening to Joesph the unamazing ward repairman, all while being hungover. I hate my life right now._

"Sir, Miss Schriver is here to see you."

"Yes, pull up a seat Emma. So have you made any progress with Mr. Tendal's case."

"No, not really."

"Good, Emma..."

"Since when was making no progress with a client good?" Now Emma really wanted to know what was going on.

"Emma, you are going to be reassigned to the messiest case I have ever seen." Mr. Lesk gave Emma a manila folder. "This is your case folder, which will also take you to his jail cell in about five minutes, have fun." With that Mr. Lesk got up and walked to the door.

"But Sir, this is your office."

"First rule of the office Emma, never question you boss." Mr. Lesk oped the door and walked out. Emma felt a familiar tug behind her navel. A second later she found herself in front of a wizard jailer with the high court crest.

"You're Emma Schriver?" grunted the jailer.

"Yes."

"Follow me."

The jailer led Emma to a carpet and told her to stand there. "Floor B-13" he barked. At once the carpet began to move downward past what would have been the floor. As the carpet drifted downward Emma caught glances of the prisoners in the cell. Nearly half f them were asleep, another quarter were eating whatever they called food at this prison. The rest were doing various things like tracing circles on the cement floors and banging metal cups against the cell bars. Emma never thought people actually did that. Finally she reached floor B-13. Apparently it was only recently inhabited because none of the cells visible from the carpet were occupied. She got off the carpet and walked the row of empty cells until she reached the final cell. In it was a man covered by a mass of filthy black hair.

Emma withdrew a wand from her robe and pointed it to his head. "What the hell are you doing here?"

The man stretched out and gave off a yawn, then he looked at Emma. "Oh, Emma, fancy seeing you here. I would offer you tea and biscuits, but my hands are tied right now, I hope you understand."

Emma dug her wand into his temple. "I'll give you five seconds to explain yourself."

"What you aren't glad to see me after 13 long years." The man was not bothered by the wand digging into his skull.

"Three seconds, Sirius, you know how I am with deadlines."


	2. Twenty Questions

"Peterwasdasecretkeeper," Sirius said too quickly to be understood.

"What?"

"Peter was the secret keeper."

"What! Stay here." Emma stormed out of the cell and relocked the cell door.

"It's not like I can go anywhere." Sirius shouted after her.

But Emma was already out of earshot. Once she shouted at the carpet to get her to the first floor she began to think about what Sirius had just said; _Peter Pettigrew be secret keeper? It was impossible. This was by far one of the most ridiculous stories I have ever heard. How could Peter have been Secret Keeper it made no sense what-so-ever. But I should probably check anyway although it's still stupid._ The carpet was now at the 1st floor. She took the clear bottle from the guard before telling the carpet to go back to floor B-13. _I'm not doing this for Sirius. _she re-assured herself. _I'm only doing it for Harry. She was doing it for his sake he at least deserved to know the truth about it all. _Finally Emma reached the bottom floor. She sprinted towards Sirius's door which sprang magically open and shoved the potion down Sirius's throat. The effect was instantaneous Sirius's eyes went out of focus until he looked like a puppet.

"What is your name?" Emma asked just to make sure that the potion was working properly.

"Sirius Orion Black," came the emotionless reply.

"Who are your parents?"

"Orion and Walburga Black."

"Animagus form?"

"A large black dog."

"Registered?"

"No."

"What the importance of today?"

"June 16th is the 13th anniversary of when I asked you to marry me."

Now that she was convinced that the veritaserum was working properly, she asked the big question. "Who was James' and Lily's secret keeper?"

"Peter Pettigrew."

"Why?"

"Because it made sense."

"How did it make sense?" at this point Emma was seriously and Siriusly confused.

"Once word got out the James and Lily were under the Fidelius, people would assume I was the secret keeper. No one would ever think that Peter was the secret keeper due to his personality."

"What about the murder of Peter and the 13 muggles?"

"I didn't kill any of them."

"Then what happened that day?" This was the other big question that had been on Emma's mind since the beginning of this interrogation.

"I confronted Peter. He cut of his own finger and then blew up the street. Before the dust had settled he transformed into a rat and slipped into the sewers."

"So Peter killed the 13 muggles and is still alive hiding as a rat?"

"Yes." It was at this point that Emma administered the veritaserum antidote.


	3. Friends in the Right Places

Emma Schriver stared at the glint of the lights in her cubical reflecting off of her coral nails. Joseph had been handed off to someone new to the firm, she had no idea who, to allow her to focus on her new case. This one was going to be the toughest case she had ever faced.

First she had to prove that Sirius didn't follow that evil bastard. _That should be simple enough_ she thought. Directly after the war, a handful of "ex" Death Eaters fled to the States where they were quickly identified and arrested. The dark mark left a very distinct magical signature, which could easily be picked up by an investigator. The lack of a mark would help her case a lot, although it would not be sufficient.

That led to problem number 2: proving the trial that took place 13 years ago was flawed, and to do that she needed to make a floo call. She got out of her chair and started walking slowly and deliberately to the office's floo center. She was trying to keep her nerves from overwhelming her. _It's been thirteen years, and the first time I am going to see Amy again is to ask about Sirius. Really Emma__。__How could you do that to her. _Emma and Amy, as Emma liked to call her, both fought against the Death Eaters in the first war. Emma owed Amy her life and vice versa. Shaking her self out of her thought, Emma grabbed a couple pinches of floo powder, long distance calls always cost more, and threw it into the fire calling out in the steadiest voice she could manage, "England, British Ministry of Magic, DMLE, Amelia Bones." Overseas floo calls always had the most ridiculous addresses. Suddenly a face appeared in the fire place.

"Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Madame Bones's office. How can I help you today," said the secretary answering the call.

"This is Emma Schriver, and I want to speak to Madame Bones about...um...obtaning the transcript of a court trial."

"Very well, I will see what I can do Ms. Schriver," said the head in the fire before retreating from view. Emma barely had time to blink before another face appeared in the fireplace.

"Emma!" the head cried out joyfully, "It's been way too long. How have you been?"

"I've been better, Amy," Emma said to her old friend Amelia Bones, who was currently the most powerful witch, and ministry employee, in Great Brittan. "I have a favor to ask you." Emma trailed off, not sure of how approach the next question without showing her hand. "Would it be possible for me to obtain a copy of the transcript of _Sirius Black v. the Magical People of British Isles _for a case study?" Emma asked hopefully.

"I'm sorry, Emma, but I can't give you anything." Amelia said regretfully

"Why not?" Emma was trying very hard to conceal her growing dread

"Simply put, there is no transcript to give you." Amelia had a frown on her face.

"But don't ICW conventions require that all trials..."

"There was no trial." Madame Bones said quickly. "Black was detained under a state of emergency that hasn't ended yet."

"Which means that he could be considered a political refugee," Emma said under her breath.

"You realize that I have to report the fact that he's been located." Madame Bones said with an amused look on her face. "Of course, since he was never actually charged with anything, let alone convicted, I could file it right now, and no one would realize what had happened for at least three days."

"I never said that..."

"I know that, but your face speaks volumes." Amelia was referring to the horrified look on Emma's face. "There was a reason you never went into espionage."

"For the record I am a damn good healer." Emma said. "I guess I have some paper work to deal with now."

"You have three days to get everything in order." called out the disappearing head of Madame Amelia Bones.


End file.
